Veiss



G. W. WEISS.

BXPLOSIVB ENGINE.

Patented July 23, 1895.

(No Model.)

l @Mn 'Y/mw Nrrsn STAT-13s P afreiwr Erice.

CARL IV. "VEISS, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AND AUGUST MlETZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 543,165, dated July 23, 1895.

Application iiled October 19, 1894:. Seria-11%. 526,345. `(No model.)

To a/ZZ whom ama/y concern:

Be it known that I, CARL W. WEISS, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosive Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

This invention relates particularly to eX- plosive engines in which the charge is compressed in the motor-cylinder before ignition takes place.

One object is to increase the efficiency of explosive engines of the well-known Otto type, in which the cycle of actions is completed during two revolutions of the crank-shaft, the end particularly in view being to provide means whereby in engines of this particular type it may become possible to take advantage of the establishment of an elastic cushion against the front side of the piston, which shall be compressed during the forward movement of the piston and shall be made todo work by expansion during the return stroke of`tl1e piston. Incidentally to the successful development of this portion of the invention and as a result of the peculiar conditions which obtain it has been found both desirable and necessary to provide certain special means forlubricating the piston, which means are also applicable to single-acting engines.

The several features of the invention will be more particularly described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a partial longitudinal section of so much of an engine of the Otto type as will be sufi'- cient to enable the application of the present improvements to be understood. Fig. 2 is a partial transverse section on the line of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a partial longitudinal section through a cylinder equipped with means different from those shown in Fig. l for effecting a displacement and cooling of the air or gas which forms the cushion againstthe front side of the piston.

The supporting-framework A may be of any suitable construction, and, as represented in Fig. 1, has a bearing B for the crank-shaft F, a slideway D for the cross-head E, and receives and supports the cylinder O. Within the cylinder is placed the piston G, having a piston-rod g, which is connected by the rod g with the crank-shaft F. The rear end of the cylinder is closed as usual by a head O' and the front end is also closed by a head C2, so that either in the front end of the cylinder or in connection therewith there may be formed a tight chamber, within which the inclosed gas or air may be compressed by the forward stroke of the piston to give up to the piston on its return stroke the energy so stored up. As represented in the drawings, the cylinder is surroundedby a jacket O3, which forms between itselfand the cylinder an'annular space having free communication with the forward end of the cylinder. The space thus formed might be given any capacity by enlarging the jacketg'but I prefer the arrangement` shown, in which the rear end of the Space between the cylinder and jacket is connected through acheck-valve H, which opens from the cylinder to a pipe C, the space between the jacket and cylinder being relatively small as compared with the Volume of the cylinder.

The pipe C4 is given a suitable length by coiling and is connected tothe forward end of the space between `the cylinder-and jacket through acheck-valve H' which opens inward. The capacity of the chamber thus formed is still further increased by the connection to the pipe C4 of a tank I, which also serves anotherpurpose to be referred to. Assuming for a moment that the engine is single acting, it'will be seen that the air or gas contained inthe inclo'sed space and chamber is compressed during the forward stroke of the piston, and such increase of temperature as may be due to compression is utilized to maintain the heat of the cylinder at atiine when it is desirable to have it so maintained. The air or gas is at the saine time forced through the valve H into the pipe O4, where its temperature is lowered materially. As the pistonbe\9 5 gins its return stroke, the compressed and cooled gases from the pipe C4 re-enter the cylinder near its forward end through the valve H and impart the stored-upenergy to the piston. As the gases re-enter the hot cylinder theyare heated and their expansion increased, thereby adding still more to the work accomplished.

It will be apparent that the arrangement described constitutes meansl for displacing, cooling, and returning to the proper point for most effective action on thereturning piston the gases which have been compressed by the forward movement of the piston.

It is assumed above that the engine is singie acting, and so far as the operation of the devices already described is concerned they are applicable alike to single-acting engines and to those of the particular type to which reference has been made. It is well known, however, that in engines of the Otto type the explosion takes place during the first forward movement of the piston, the dead gases are expelled during the first rearward movement,the fresh charge is drawn in by the second forward movement,and the fresh charge is compressed during the second rearward movement. It is undesirable that the pressure of the compressed gases should rest upon the front face of the piston during the drawing in of the fresh charge, as the engine would then be doing negative work. Moreover, it is more desirable that the pressure should rest upon the front face of the piston during the compression of the fresh charge than during the eX- pulsion of the dead gases. I have therefore provided means for cutting off communication between the main body of the compressed gases and the space in front of the piston immediately upon the completion of the first forward movement of the piston and re-establishing such communication upon the beginning of the second return stroke. A ccordiugly I have interposed a slide valve K between the valve H and the jacket C3, the said slide-valve having a port 7c, which is adapted to establish communication from the Valve H to the space within the jacket C3. The slide-valve is operated from the crankshaftF by suitable mechanism, it being shown as connected by a rod K with a crank-pin fon a diskf. The latter is carried by a short shaft f2, (shown in dotted lines,) which has a gearj'3 engaged by a pinion f4 of half the number of teeth on the shaft F. As the shaft f2 rotates once for every two rotations of the shaft F, it is evident that the slide-valve K will be caused to open communication from the valve I-I during the stroke of the piston which cornpresses the fresh charge. The valve remains in the same condition during the next outward stroke of the piston under the influence of the explosion, whereby the gases in the inclosed space are compressed within the tank I, the valve H opening outwardly to permit this. The valve K is then shifted as the crank of the shaft F passes through its deadcenter and shuts off communication between the valve Il and the forward end of the cylinder. The valve K remains in this condition during the stroke of the piston which expels the dead gases and the stroke which draws in the fresh charge and then changes to the position first described. In this manner the gases within the chamber represented by the pipe C4 and the tank I are compressed by the explosion of the charge and return their stored-up energy to the piston during the compression of a fresh charge, while during the expulsion of the dead gases and the drawing in of the fresh charge the pressure on the front side of the piston is relieved and negative work avoided. As the volume of the annular space between the cylinder and jacket is relatively small as compared with the volume of the cylinder the pressure in such space and on the front side of the piston will be reduced below the atmospheric pressure by the first inward stroke and restored by the second outward stroke. In this way the movement of the piston is somewhat cushioned, although an exhaust-port might be Opened to establishV communication with the outer air.

A further improvement which has been incidental to the development of the main part of the invention relates to the means for lubricating the piston. rlhe difficulty of providing means to apply a lubricant constantly to the pistons of engines of this type without causing leakage is well known. I have taken advantage of the compression of the gases in front of the piston to produce the feed of thc lubricant. The tank I is adapted to receive a quantity of lubricant and is entered by a pipe z', which terminates below the level of the lubricant in the tank. The pipe t' is con- -nected with an extension i', which has two check-valves t? and t3, both opening upwardly and terminates in an opening/t"1 through the wall of the cylinder at such a point that the mouth of the opening 4 is touched or covered by the piston at the end of its forward stroke. As the air and gases in front of the piston are com pressed in the manner already set forth, the pressure is transmitted to the surface of the lubricant in the tankIand, owing to the slight compression of the mingled gases and lubricant in the pipe t" between the two check-valves, a small quantity of lubricantis forced through the check-valve t2. In this manner the pipe t" between the two checkvalves is lled with lubricant more or less mingled with gases. It is evident, therefore, that when the pressure is released the gases and lubricant between the two check-valves will expand slightly and a small quantity of lubricant will pass through the upper checkvalve i3. The lubricant is thus fed slowly to the opening t* in the wall of the cylinder and is received upon the piston. The slide-valve K, heretofore referred to, may be interposed between the pipes t' and t" and be provided with a port 704 to prevent the forcing out of the lubricant from the tank I by the pressure of the compressed gases on its surface at a time when the exhaust-port in the front end of the cylinder is opened.

I have hereinbefore described an arrange- ICO ment of means for displacing, cooling, and returning to the'cylinder at the proper point the gases compressed by the forward stroke of the piston. In Fig. 3 I have represented a different arrangement for accomplishing this result. The cylinder C, its jacket O3, and the head G2, closing the front end of the jacket,.may be as usual. The jacket C3 instead of communicating with a pipe C4, in which the compressed gases may be cooled, has around its forward end a water-jacket C5, the water-jacket being limited to a comparatively-narrow'belt at the forward end of the cylinder, in order that its cooling influence may be exerted only at that end of the cylinder. Within the space between the cylinder C and the jacket C3 is placed a looselyfitting sleeve C, which is adapted to be pushed to and fro by rods C'7 C7, which pass through the head C2. The sleeve C6 being about half thelength of the cylinder C and tting loosely will displace the gases within the inclosed space as it is moved to and fro. The sleeve does not move with the 4piston but lags behind it. lConsequently when the piston is at the end of its outward stroke the sleeve is near the rear end of the cylinder and the compressed gases -consequently remain for a brief time in proximity to the water-jacket C5. As the piston commences its return movement the sleeve moves toits forward position and therefore displaces the gases toward the rear end of the space, where they are heated by contact with the hot portion of the cylinder and are consequently expanded,v thereby increasing the pressure upon the front side of the piston during its return stroke.

I claim as my inventionl. In an explosive engine, the combination with the cylinder, of a jacket surrounding the cylinder with a space between which communicates with the forward end of the cylinder, the forward end of the cylinder and said space'being tightly closed so that the contained gas or gases shall be compressedby the forward movement of the piston to expand and do work upon the piston as it makes its return movement, means to displace the air or gases in said space as the engine is operated, and a cooling device, whereby the air or gas is cooled as it is compressed during the forward stroke of the piston and is returned to contact with the heated cylinder for further expansion by increase of temperature as the piston makes its return stroke, substantially as shown and described.

2. In an explosive engine, the combination with the cylinder, of a jacket surrounding the cylinder with a space between which communicates with the forward end of the cylinder, the forward end of the cylinder and said space being tightly closed, a pipe having its ends respectively connected to the space inclosed by the jacket near the respective ends ofthe cylinder, a check-valve opening away from the jacketed space in the pipe near the rear end of the cylinder and a check-valve opening toward the jacketed space near the forward end of the cylinder, substantially as shown and described.

3. In an explosive engine, the combination `with the cylinder having its forward end.

tightly closed, of a chamber communicating with the forward end of the cylinder, a valve controlling the communication between the chamber and forward end of the cylinder, and means for operating said valve at successive movements of the piston, whereby communication is open to permit compression and subsequent expansion of the inclosed gases during certain movements of the piston and whereby said communication is closed during other movements of the piston to hold the gases inclosed in the chamber under compression and to relieve the front of the piston of their pressure, substantially as shown and described. v

4. In an engine, the combination with the cylinder having its end closed to permit of compression of the inclosed air or gases by the piston, of a closed chamber communicati-ng withthe cylinder and adapted to receive alubricant, a pipe entering said chamber with its end below the surface of the lubricant therein and having its other end communicating with an opening into said cylinder, and twocheck-valves in said pipe separated by some distance from each other and both openingfrom said chamber, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL W. WEISS. Witnesses:

A. WIDDER, A. N. JEsBERA.

lOO 

